About Us

“Budehaven is a true community school” Ofsted, May 2024

Budehaven Community School is located on the beautiful north Cornwall coast in the town of Bude. We are proud to be a fully comprehensive school, welcoming and providing an inclusive education to students aged 11 to 19. Our school benefits from a thriving, successful Sixth Form, from which many of our young people access some of the top Universities in the UK.

Budehaven Community School is a thriving environment to be part of, and our ethos, which is built on a foundation of Care, Enjoyment and Opportunities, building Responsibility, Confidence and Success, is tangible from the second you walk through the door. As you travel around our school, the energy of the students and staff is infectious and it is clear to see that we uphold high standards of behaviour and attitudes to learning. The stunning work of our talented young people is on display around the school, and their art and photography work is one of our jewels in the Budehaven crown within our stylish Bistro Art Gallery for all to appreciate. We have an annual art exhibition, where members of the community come and admire the work of our young people.

We celebrate talent, skill, effort and difference, and the results of this are evident in every part of the school community. Our young people benefit from excellent sports, music and performing arts facilities, The Haven - our on-site integrated health centre, which also provides extra social, emotional and academic support for those young people who need it, and we also have an Area Resource Base on-site, ran by the Special Partnerships Trust.

Fundraising activities and competitions that take place across our different charity-related Houses bring out the generosity of all members of our Budehaven family. Our young people compete at a national and international level within sporting competitions; we are incredibly proud of them and we are so grateful for the support that our parents, carers and other members of our community give to our students. The musical and theatrical talents of our students are stunning, ranging from the Rock Band to the Samba Band, and Performances such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time and the forthcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We have regular musical concerts, which are open to all members of our community.

We firmly believe that we provide a great education for all, both inside and outside our classroom, for all students, regardless of their background. Our students achieve well, with our pupils following a carefully sequenced curriculum that builds on prior knowledge and understanding, linking ideas within and across subjects. Key Stage 3 prepares them well for the challenges of GCSE and A Level. Our pupils understand why they have learned what they have learned, and how it shapes their future learning and aspirations. Our young people are bright, interested, and interesting.

We are incredibly proud of our Sixth Form, which provides a range of A Level and other Level 3 courses. We are also very proud of our Sixth Form students; every year many of them go on to Oxbridge, Russell Group, national and international universities. For a number of years we have ranked in the top 20% of Sixth Form providers in the country, and this continues as we expand our provision. Our Sixth Form is hugely important to our local area, and the futures of our young people.

Budehaven students and staff are proud of our school and the community it serves; we are ambitious for our students, academically and for their development into curious young people. Our students understand and can articulate their thoughts and ideas on a wide range of topics, from climate change to politics, psychology to English Literature. They look beyond their locality, look at the world in wonder, and become thoughtful and productive members of the wider society.

We welcome anyone who would like to come and visit our school community, and cannot wait to show you all the amazing things we have to offer! If you would like to come and see who we are and what we do, please get in touch!